Coming into Monday's game in Los Angeles, the Clippers had won the first meeting this season and have won three of the four meetings in each of the previous two seasons.
Unfortunately for Phoenix (12-10), in spite of a career game from Eric Bledsoe, the Clippers beat the Suns again thanks to a last-second three-pointer (that bounced on the rim nearly four times as time expired) by Blake Griffin, 121-120.
What can we learn from the loss? A few things:
3. Eric Bledsoe is an absolute monster
In the team's first triple-double since 2006 (Boris Diaw), Bledsoe had his undisputed best game in a Suns uniform against his former team Monday night.
Bledsoe finished with a stellar 27 points, 16 assists, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks on 8-of-16 shooting. Amazing.
Indeed, he'd trade all those numbers for a win, but Bledsoe's play over the last week should be incredibly encouraging for Suns fans.
2. The bench stepped up
Led by Gerald Green's 15, the Suns bench was active on both ends of the floor Monday night, and their fire kept the Suns in the game.
Anthony Tolliver had what could be considered his best game in a Suns uniform with nine points (three three-pointers) in 23 minutes, Alex Len continued his ascension with 14 points and seven boards in 26 minutes, and Marcus Morris was clutch late in the game and finished with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Phoenix outscored the Clippers' bench 49-19.
1. The Suns did a lot of things right
It sounds tired and cliché, but the Suns kept pace - and very likely could have won - against a team that came into Monday night winning seven in a row and was truly starting to come together.
The Suns assisted on 32 of 44 shots, finished 48 percent from the floor and 43 percent from the three-point line. Six of the nine Suns players who received minutes scored in double-figures, and aside from Blake Griffin they did a solid job keeping the rest of the Clippers team contained.
Losses like these are never fun, but the good news is that they'll get a chance to right the ship less than 24 hours later as the Miami Heat head to Phoenix to take on the Suns at US Airways Center on Tuesday, December 9.